According to his most recent update, Carlos Alcaraz is still not giving 100% in training, which is a bit troublesome ahead of his first match at the Madrid Open.
There have been a lot of narratives and stories surrounding the 20-year-old and the state of his injury. The Spaniard withdrew from two consecutive events because of it, and it's still not something that has gone away completely.
It's a troubling trend for sure, especially for a young player. He has admitted a few times now that he's not really at 100% and likely won't be by the time he plays his first match at the Madrid Open.
It's not ideal, as he revealed to MARCA in a recent interview, but it shouldn't be a problem for Alcaraz, who has played with minor injuries before.
"After training on Wednesday, it is becoming clearer and I see it as more feasible to be able to take to the track. Little by little, I have been increasing the intensity and I have already trained with a sparring partner and the ball was more lively."
The problem is mainly if he makes it worse, which is obviously a calculation that's still being determined. Alcaraz also hinted at possibly not playing at all in Madrid, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens on Friday, but his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, is trying to encourage him.
"My last training session has been very positive and has given me a lot of peace of mind. I still don't give it 100%, but well, Juanqui (Ferrero) always tells me to hit it relaxed and forward and what better time to do it than now."
Alcaraz's camp is optimistic that everything will be fine, but injuries are really unpredictable. He'll have to use more force during a proper competitive tennis match, and there is a chance that he realizes it's a problem.